Social Security
Why retirement savings have stalled
Nearly nine out of ten people age 65 and older were receiving a Social Security benefit as of June 30, 2024. Among those beneficiaries age 65 and older, 12 percent of men and 15 percent of women rely on Social…
A record-breaking backlog
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General reported the Social Security Administration is facing a “record-breaking backlog” of open cases leading to an estimated $1.1 billion in improper payments to beneficiaries. The SSA OIG report also noted the…
Increasing the wage base to save Social Security
Policy experts are debating the many options to resolve the issue of Social Security insolvency. Some strategies to fix Social Security include raising the full retirement age, changing the cost-of-living measure, and means-testing for benefits, along with the many other…
Social Security expands Compassionate Allowances list
(Source – blog.ssa.gov) Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced nine new Compassionate Allowances (CAL) conditions and revisions to two existing CAL conditions: Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, Costello Syndrome, Adult Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1-4, Child Heart Transplant…
Social Security changes in 2025
Social Security benefits are a steady source of income for retirees. However, like all things, the program changes annually. Although we will not know the exact changes until later this year, Maurie Backman outlines what areas of the Social Security…
Social Security Installs Private, Accessible Kiosks To Improve Customer Check-In Process
(Source – blog.ssa.gov) We’ve installed new kiosks in most of our local offices nationwide to make it easier than ever to check in and conduct Social Security business. Our new kiosks are private, easy to use without assistance, and provide…
Your taxes and Social Security
The Social Security Trust Fund will be insolvent within the next ten years, causing benefits to be cut by 23 percent unless Congress reforms the program. The current presidential candidates both say they will not touch the program; however, the…
The path to the highest possible Social Security check
What does it mean when someone says they have maxed out their Social Security check? It means no matter how much money they made during their career, they cannot receive a Social Security check higher than $4,873 per month. Yes,…
Aim to be less reliant on Social Security COLAs
The official 2025 COLA will be released by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in mid-October 2024, usually around October 15th. However, the announcement may not be what seniors are hoping for. Why? Experts estimate a lower COLA than the previous…
Ask Rusty – Does Some of my Social Security Payment Include Repayment of my Contributions?
Dear Rusty: I have a question about my Social Security benefits. Would I be correct to assume that part of the monthly Social Security income I get is a repayment of what I contributed to the fund while I was…